Benjamin T. Richardson, ASC (born 21 September 1975) is an English cinematographer, television producer and director. He is best known for his work on the films Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Wind River (2017), and Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021), as well as the limited series Mare of Easttown (2021), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Ben Richardson | |
|---|---|
 Richardson in 2013 | |
| Born | Benjamin T. Richardson 21 September 1975 England, United Kingdom |
| Education | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Partner | Anna Kendrick (2014–2020) |
| Website | benrichardson |
Early life
editRichardson was born in England and attended Bournemouth School succeeded by Royal Holloway, University of London's media arts degree programme.[1]
Career
editRichardson is a director of photography. Three of his films, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Happy Christmas, and Wind River have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Beasts of the Southern Wild was also nominated for four Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards, including a nomination for Best Picture. His short film Seed won Best Animated Short at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival.
In 2019, Richardson was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers.[2]
Beasts of the Southern Wild
editRichardson met director Benh Zeitlin in Prague in 2004[3] and subsequently collaborated on the short film Glory at Sea in 2008.[4] During pre-production on Beasts of the Southern Wild, Richardson shot a test reel which convinced the financiers to approve him as cinematographer for the film.[5]
Beasts of the Southern Wild debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where Richardson won the Excellence in Cinematography Award.[6] For his work on the film he also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, and was nominated for multiple awards including a Camerimage award and a Satellite Award.[7]
Personal life
editRichardson was in a relationship with actress Anna Kendrick since 2014 after they met while filming Drinking Buddies.[8]
Filmography
editCinematographer
editShort film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Glory at Sea | Benh Zeitlin | With Robert Leitzell |
| 2009 | Seed | Himself Daniel Bird |
|
| 2010 | The Drip Machine | Himself | |
| 2011 | The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting | Emily Carmichael | |
| 2013 | Best Friends | Lena Dunham |
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Beasts of the Southern Wild | Benh Zeitlin | |
| 2013 | Drinking Buddies | Joe Swanberg | |
| 2014 | The Fault in Our Stars | Josh Boone | |
| Happy Christmas | Joe Swanberg | ||
| Cut Bank | Matt Shakman | ||
| 2015 | Digging for Fire | Joe Swanberg | |
| 2017 | Wind River | Taylor Sheridan | |
| Table 19 | Jeffrey Blitz | ||
| Sand Castle | Fernando Coimbra | ||
| 1922 | Zak Hilditch | ||
| 2021 | Those Who Wish Me Dead | Taylor Sheridan |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Chi | Rick Famuyiwa | Episode "Pilot" |
| Yellowstone | Taylor Sheridan | Season 1 | |
| 2021 | Mare of Easttown | Craig Zobel | Miniseries |
| Mayor of Kingstown | Taylor Sheridan | Episodes "The Mayor of Kingstown" and "Simply Murder" | |
| 2021-2022 | 1883 | Taylor Sheridan Himself Christina Alexandra Voros |
6 episodes |
| 2022-2023 | 1923 | Himself | 6 episodes |
Director
editShort films
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Seed | Also animator |
| 2010 | The Drip Machine | Also writer |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yellowstone | Yes | Co-producer | Directed episodes "Resurrection Day" and "Behind Us Only Grey" |
| 2021 | Mayor of Kingstown | Yes | Co-executive | Directed episodes "The End Begins" and "The Price" |
| 2021-2022 | 1883 | Yes | Co-executive | Directed 5 episodes |
| 2022 | Tulsa King | Yes | No | Episode "Caprice" |
| 2022-2023 | 1923 | Yes | Executive | Directed 6 episodes |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Nomination | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Cinematography | Beasts of the Southern Wild | Won |
| Satellite Awards | Best Cinematogaphy | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography (For episode "Daybreak") |
Yellowstone | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography (For Episode "Illusions") | Mare of Easttown | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Conversation with cinematographer Ben Richardson about his work on "Beasts of the Southern Wild", by Benh Zeitlin". 20 September 2021.
- ^ Ben Richardson, ASC (12 October 2019). "With tremendous pride I can announce that I have been invited to membership in the American Society of Cinematographers". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (14 December 2012). "Immersed in Movies: Cinematographer Ben Richardson Talks 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'". Indiewire. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Egan, Jack (15 November 2012). "Contender — Director of Photography Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild". Below The Line. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Most, Madelyn. "Conversation with cinematographer Ben Richardson about his work on Beasts of the Southern Wild, by Benh Zeitlin". Association Française des directeurs de la photographie Cinématographique. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (14 December 2012). "Immersed in Movies: Cinematographer Ben Richardson Talks 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'". Indiewire. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Ben Richardson: Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Anna Kendrick Steps Out with Boyfriend Ben Richardson for a Coffee Run—See the Rare Pic!". 27 January 2015.